Hard Headed Woman
by Lady Dudley
Summary: Pam causes Eric to make a faux-pas with Sookie. An attention seeking stunt or has she just had enough? Or both?


**A/N: Once again, I owe a debt of thanks to the _fangtastic_ excusemeb for all her help in developing this story. This came out of a conversation we were having about whether or not Eric actually buys the gifts that he gives to people. It turned out a little differently (and more serious) than I had originally intended and, as such, is probably set around the end of S4, pre-S5. So E/P haven't kissed and made up, but they're at least on speaking terms. I decided to use the song because Pam is being 'hard-headed' in a) being a thorn in his side and b) not seeing how much she means to Eric. Hope you enjoy!** **:)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**_Hard Headed Woman_**

…  
_I got a woman,  
Head like a rock.  
If she ever went away  
I'd cry around the clock.  
Oh yeah, ever since the world began  
A hard headed woman been  
A thorn in the side of man._  
-"Hard Headed Woman," Elvis Presley  
…

Eric raised an eyebrow as Sookie opened the door, "Tinkerbell pyjamas, really?" he asked, eyeing the offending clothing and looking decidedly unimpressed.

"They were a gift," Sookie replied, the slight challenge in her tone surprising Eric.

"Really? From who?"

Sookie's brow creased in confusion, "Is that a trick question?"

"That depends on the answer," he replied easily, confused by her confusion.

"_You_ bought them for me," she informed him, crossing her arms.

"No I didn't," he protested.

It was Sookie's turn to raise an eyebrow and a thought struck Eric, "Pam," he muttered under his breath.

He should have known.

He'd charged Pam with finding something for Sookie as a gift. She'd always had better taste in gifts than he did and he trusted her judgement, apparently he should have paid more attention to her grumbling as she left his office.

He eyed the flannel pyjamas again; he would deal with Pam later.

A few minutes later, however, he had to admit to himself that the evening was not going to go the way he had planned. He couldn't get Pam and her choice of a gift for Sookie out of his mind; he would have to deal with the problem, now.

After making his excuses to Sookie, it didn't take him long to return to Fangtasia.

He found Pam conducting an inventory of the storeroom.

"It's good to see that you still undertake some tasks properly," he commented, crossing his arms and leaning casually against the doorframe.

Pam didn't even turn around, "I perform all my tasks properly," she replied.

"Really? I've just been to see Sookie," he told her, moving away from the doorframe and walking over to her.

Pam turned around and regarded him with one of her trademark defiant expressions, "Oh?"

"Tinkerbell was a nice touch," he informed her sarcastically, stopping in the middle of the room.

"I thought so," she drawled.

"What part of buying an appropriate gift for Sookie did you not understand?" he asked, a touch of anger creeping into his tone.

"What part was inappropriate, Eric?" she asked innocently, "It was…'evening wear'; it acknowledged her heritage and was practical for the winter weather." She paused, "I don't see the problem."

Eric made a monumental effort to control his temper, "You know perfectly well what the problem is," he informed her in a deceptively even tone.

"Then perhaps you should do your own gift shopping," Pam snapped, "if she means so much to you then why can't _you_ buy something for her? I am _not_ your personal shopper."

"You are my child," he informed her, "you will do whatever I ask you to."

"Yes _Daddy_," she replied in an exaggerated baby voice.

Eric's hold over his anger snapped and in the next moment he had her pinned against the wall by her throat. "It is not your place to question me, Pamela," he hissed in her ear, "I give you latitude in a lot of matters but this was a step too far."

Pam refused to be intimidated, "Let me go," she said icily, her voice marred slightly by the hold he had on her throat, "you're hurting me," she continued, looking him dead in the eye.

Eric's eyes narrowed but she held his gaze steadily; it was then he realised what she meant.

"Pam…" he began, his tone almost penitent as he stepped back, letting her go.

"I will do anything you ask me to, Eric, but I will _not_ be reduced to your slave in favour of your pet," she told him coolly, unconsciously rubbing her throat.

"You've never been my slave, Pam," he told her quietly, "I chose you to be by my side as my beloved companion, not my slave."

"That sweet talk might work on Sookie, but it won't work on me, Eric," Pam said flatly, "you chose her over _everything._ So don't try and claim that you think of me at all where she is concerned."

"I may have lost sight of a few things," Eric conceded, Pam gave a derisive snort, "but I won't make the same mistake again," he added, ignoring her outburst.

Pam eyed him suspiciously and Eric took a step forward.

"I never meant to hurt you," he told her seriously.

Pam shook her head, "You've got a lot of nerve…"

"I know," he agreed, taking another step towards her, "but I'm not going to let you leave, you're too important to me."

Pam dabbed at the corner of her eye with her finger, "I hate you."

"I know," he said, closing the distance between them and pulling her into his arms.

"This doesn't mean that I like you," Pam mumbled into his chest.

Eric suppressed a smile, "Of course not," he paused, "this doesn't mean that I forgive you for the pyjamas either."

He felt her smile against his chest and tightened his hold on her: Sookie be damned, he wasn't going to lose Pam over her.

Besides, a part of him (and a large one at that) had found the sight of Sookie in Tinkerbell pyjamas rather amusing.


End file.
